The Overstory

“There is no knowing for a fact. The only dependable things are humanity and looking.”

Synopsis: “It’s about trees.” Well, the person who gave me that synopsis didn’t exactly inspire me. But it was a Pulitzer Prize winner, and so many praised it, I figured there had to be just a little more to it than “it’s about trees.” What it’s really about is people, our relationship to nature and to each other. The novel starts with 9 separate character vignettes introducing the cast of protagonists. The plot then weaves them together, how they came to be connected (or not), but all defined by a love of the natural world. Much of the plot is centered around the eco-terrorism of the late 1990’s, set in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a difficult novel to summarize, but I’ll say that in a good way. It covers A LOT of ground!

Nicholette’s review: This is the type of book that I read and then I want to buy it for everyone that I know. I loved so much about it. First of all, there is just so much to learn from this book. It really makes you think about the world, and how much humans can underestimate the power of the planet. I think that there are some that have described it as a bit preachy, but this is the best rendering of science wrapped up in novel that I have encountered. The character development was tremendous, and the slow weaving together of the story threads was wonderful. This novel was brilliant, passionate, terrifying and painful. I truly cannot stop thinking about it. It deserves all the accolades and more. As a final note, there was also some sly, clever humor on display. Set in the Pacific Northwest of the late 1990’s, there had to be a few veiled Amazon references. My favorite? “Once you’ve bought a novel in your pajamas, there’s no turning back.”

Rating: 5/5

Corey’s review: This book has been on my TBR list for a while and I couldn’t get my life in order to read it in time for this week’s blog. My mom amazes me in many ways, her speed reading ability is just one of them. Everything about this book sounds like what I need right now. A walk in nature with an amazing story-line. I love our planet and have an immense amount of respect for her. I have this sitting my nightstand and just might need to hit pause on everything else to read this.

Menu : This was not a book that immediately called to mind any particular dish, so call it a wild card. I’ve been wanting to make Alison Roman’s Coconut braised chicken, and if we want to stretch it, coconuts come from trees, so that works, right?

Coconut-Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Limes

3.5-4 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken pieces

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 large yellow or red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons gochujang or tomato paste

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

two 14 oz cans full fat coconut milk

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

two 15 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

2 limes, quartered

1) Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown 8-10 minutes a side and transfer chicken to a plate.

2) Add the garlic and 3/4 of the onion to the pot, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add gochujang, ginger, turmeric, fennel, and pepper flakes and cook about two more minutes.

3). Add the coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pot, add the chickpeas, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

4). After 45 minutes, remove the lid and simmer uncovered 20-25 more minutes. Add the fish sauce if using.

5) Serve the stew with remaining onion, cilantro, peanuts and lime for squeezing over.